Match-safe



FFICE.,

PHILIP VISDOM, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

MATCH-SAFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,763, dated February18, 1896.

Application filed Apri14, 1895. Serial No. 544,516. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP WISDOM, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMatch-Safes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspeciiication.

My invention relates to that class of matchsafes in which a supply ofmatches is stored and from which one match may be automaticallyextracted and held in position to be grasped by the user, and in someinstances automatically lighted as it is withdrawn.

The primary object of my invention is to grip a single match by positivemeans, whereby it may be extracted from the bulk or supply of matchesand firmly heldin position until grasped by the user.

A further object of my invention is to cause the match to be withdrawn,to fall into a recess or notch in the withdrawing-slide, and when suchslide is withdrawn to automatically force the remainder of the matchesout of such notch or recess.

A further object of my invention is to exclude the possibility of alighted match being forced back into the magazine.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features ofnovelty by which the said objects and certain other objects hereinafterappearing are attained, all as vfully explained, with reference to theaccompanyingdrawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims. Y

In thesaid drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved match-safewith the slide withdrawn, the cover thereof being removed and themagazine being empty. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with thecover in place. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section with the slidepushed in. Fig. 4 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on theline 4 4E, Fig. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the forward end of themagazine, showing the passage through which the heads of the matchesemerge; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a filling-block hereinafterdescribed.

Like signs of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

The match-magazine 1 is provided with a removable cover 2, which ispreferably secured in place at one end by means of a depressed flange 3inserted under the flange 4, while the other end is provided with atongue 5 projecting downwardly into a slot 6 formed in the front end ofthe box, whereby the end of the cover will be held against lateralmovement. This tongue 5 is engaged by a screw 7, which holds the coverdown in place.

The bottom of the magazine l is preferably provided with an incline Supon which the matches 9 rest and which extends from the rear end of thebox forward to within a short distance of the front end 1, where it isprovided with a downward bend 10, which rests upon a block 11,constituting the bottom of the magazine at its forward end. The incline8 may be secured in place by means of a screw or other device 12 securedin the rear wall of the magazine.

The matches 9 are placed in the magazine transversely of the incline S,so as to roll down the latter into the recess or space between the endwall 1a and the down bend 10, and the matches are retained in thisposition and prevented from j ostling about by means of a follower-board13 resting loosely upon them.

The down bend 10 of the incline 8 is provided with a cut-away portion oropening 14C in which is fitted a hollow slide 15 which rests upon thebottom plate 1G. This slide 15 is guided in its movement in and out ofthe magazine on one side by means of the block 11 which is provided witha salient edge or flange 17 overlapping a flange 18 on one side of theslide 15, the block 11 extending from the wall 1 back to an opening 19,hereinafter described, in the bottom-16. The slide 15 is guided on itsother side by means of a ange 2O formed on an extension 21 whichsupports the slide when it is in its withdrawn position.

The upper side of the slide 15 is closed save for an opening or recess22, and such upper side constitutes a part of the bottom of that portionof the magazine located between the end wall 1 and the down bend 10. Theside portions of the Islide 15 in this recess 22 are inclined forwardlyand downwardly, so as to form a notch 23 in each of said side portionsof the slide, whereby when the slide is pushed inward in the mannershown in Fig. 3 one or more of the matches resting across the slide willtumble down into these notches 23. Now

IOO

in order that all of such matches save one may be forcedout of the notchQ3 and the remaining one withdrawn with the slide, I provide the slidewith a movable tongue or cutoif which, as the slide is withdrawn, risesand forces all of the matches save one out of the notches 23 and at thesame time closes the opening or recess 22, so as to form a continuationof the upper side of the slide 15. This tongue or cut-oft is bestconstituted by a plate or tongue-like portion 2-1 pivoted at 25 withinthe slide 15 and having aflat portion 2G of sufficient; size to fill theopening or recess 22 in the top of the slide. The outer end or edge ofthis portion 2V, however, is curved, as shown at 27, and constitutes ajaw for gripping the match-stem against the edge of the notches 2H,which latter constitute a stationary j aw, the curve of the jaw 27 beingopposite to the curve of the notches 23, whereby the two jaws willembrace the match. The upper edges of these jaws arc preferably rounded,as shown in Iigs. 2 and $3, so as to avoid engaging with one of thematch-stems above when the tongue rises in' the act of forcing the uppermatches out of the notches 22). The movable tongue or cut-off thusdescribed is automatically actuated to perform thedescribed function bythe act of withdrawing the slide 15, and the act of pushing the slideinward to receive a match autom atically depresses the tongue or cut-offand permits a match to fall into the notches 23. This automatic actionmaybe best accomplished by making a part of the tongue serve asa handlefor actuating` the slide. This part consists of a lever 2S formed on orsecured to the heel of the cut-off or tongue and projecting upwardlythrough an openin(r 29 in the outer end of the slide 15, and being soarranged that when the finger is placed upon it for withdrawing' theslide the portion 2G will automatically and invariably be thrown up intoand close the opening 22 in the slide, thus bridging over such openingand preventing the escape of all the matches save the one in the graspof the jaw 27.

The width oi' the magazine 1 is determined by the length of the matches,and its width is such that the heads of the matches may rest lightlyagainst the side wall of the magazine. The slide 15, however, is locatedat a slight distance from the side wall of the magazine, as shown inFig. 4C, so that the jaw 27 will not grip and ignite the head. The slideis held in this position by t-hc'iflange 2O and a ilange 30 whichconstitutes a continuation of the ilange 20.

The forward wallln of the magazine comes down even with the top of theslide 15, but the space between. the side ol' the slide and the sidewall of the magazine in line with the heads of the matches is left open,so as to form a passage'il through which the head of the match in thegrasp of the jaw 37 passes when being withdrawn by the slide. Arrangedjust outside the magazine and in line with this opening 31 is a striker32, consistin g of a corrugated or roughcned plate having a spring 33secured to the side of the magazine by means of a screw or othersuitable device, whereby as the match is withdrawii in the grasp of thejaw 27 its head will be grated against the striker E 2 and automaticallyignited, while the projecting end of its stem will be held aloof fromthe table or support 21 in position to be grasped bythe hand of theuser, the match being released the instant the finger is removed fromthe lever 28. In order that the match may not by any possibility beforced back into the magazine after it has been withdrawn sufficientlyfar to become ignited, I arrange over the passa-ge $51 a valve 35, whichis adapted to rise and let the match-head pass when being withdrawn bythe slide; but when an attempt is made to force the match hack into themagazine it will engage with and sever the head of the match, or at allevents arrest its inward movement. This valve preferably consists of aplate having a knife-edge 3G on the outer side of its inner edgeprojecting down wai-diy over the passage 231, the plate being supportedby an arm E57 pivotally connected to the side wall of the magazine byscrew 38.

In order that the match may not be removed from the grasp of the jawsuntil it has been ignited, l arrange a shield 3i) over one side of theslide 15 in such a position that the projecting end of the match-stemwill be covered until the match has been drawn past or substantiallyagainst the striker I have shown the magazine 1 provided with afilling-block 410, which is for the purpose of reducing the width of themagazine when it is desired to fill it with matches of a shorter length.This filling-block 4:0 will be complementary in shape to the verticallongitudinal section of the magazine, and when in the magazine willbeheld in place against one of its side walls bythe follower-board 13.

If desired, a spring-blade 32 may be sccured to the side of the magazineand arranged opposite and inclined toward the scratcher 32, so as to bestruck by the stem of the match and force the head against the strikerin the event the match-head should fall short of the'striker in thefirst instance. One of the side walls of the magazine at a point belowthe incline 8 is provided with one or more openings 41 for the admissionof the end of a cigar, and the slide 15 is provided with alaterallyprojecting arm 112, which carries a double-acting knife /1-3arranged to cross the openings 41 when the slide 15 is rcciprocated,thus simultaneously cutting off the end of the cigar and lighting thematch. The ends severed from the cigars fall through the opening 19 inth e bottom plate 16 into a box 43, in which the feet 4l of the saferests. The filling-block 40 may also be placed in the box 43 under theplate 1G when not in use.

Having thus described my invention, what IOO IIO

I claim as new therein, and 4desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A match-safe having in combination a magazine, a slide arrangedcontiguous to said magazine and having a notch or recess for receiving amatch from the magazine, and a tongue or cut-off movable independentlyof said slide and having an exterior operatinghandle for forcing theremainder of the matches out of said notch or recess, substantially asset forth.

2. A match-safe having in combination a magazine, a slide arranged insaid magazine and having a recess adapted to receive the matches, atongue pivoted in said slide and having a portion 26 adapted to closesaid recess and form a continuation of the upper side of the slide, anda jaw 27 adapted to grip a single match in said recess, and anoperating-lever secured to said tongue for operating the tongue andslide, substantially as set forth.

3. A match-safe having in combination a magazine, a slide having a notchor recess adapted to receive a match from the magazine, a tongue orcut-off pivoted to said slide and adapted to rise in said recess andgrip the match therein, and a common operatinglever for said slide andcut-off, substantially as set forth.

4. A match-safe having in combination a magazine, a slide whose surfaceis above the bottom of said magazine, and said surface being providedwith a notch or recess adapted to receive the matches, a tongue pivotedin said slide and having at one end a portion adapted to close saidnotch or recess and at its other end an operating-lever projecting fromthe slide and arranged on the exterior of the magazine whereby the slideand tongue may be simultaneously operated, substantially as set forth.

5. A match-safe having in combination a magazine, a slide having a notchor recess adapted to receive a match from the magazine, means forgripping the match in said recess and withdrawing it from the magazine,a striker arranged in the line of movement of the head of the match, anda flexible blade arranged opposite said striker and being inclinedtoward it in the line of movement of the stem of the match, for forcingthe head of the match against said striker, substantially as set forth.

6. A match-safe having in combination a magazine, a slide forming a partof the bottom of said magazine and having a notch formed in the topthereof for receiving the match, a tongue pivoted in said slide andhaving a shoulder adapted in conjunction with said notch to embrace asingle match and to force the remainder of said matches out of saidnotch, said tongue being provided with an exterior operating-handle,substantially as set forth.

'7. A match-safe having in combination a magazine, a slide having anotch in the upper side thereof for receiving a match, a strikerarranged on one side of said slide, and a springplate arrangedtransversely of a line passing lengthwise of said notch, on the otherside of said slide, substantially as set forth.

PHILIP WISDOM. Witnesses:

F. A. HOPKINS, EDNA B. JoHNsoN.

